[Mandatory] Written Paper Critiques

[Due] Before each class, on Canvas.
(e.g., the deadline for Monday's class papers is 11:59:59 AM on Monday.)
No late submissions are accepted.
No critique is due for the first class (09/23).

The required readings are posted on the course syllabus, and you need to write a critique for one of the two papers assigned for each class. In the syllabus, you sometimes find [Optional] papers, but you shouldn't choose them for this. Keep in mind that this is not light pleasure reading. You may require to read a few more relevant papers to understand the reading materials. After you are used to this reading, it may take 2-3 hours to read each paper.

Your critique MUST have the following fields:

• Summary of the paper (a paragraph)
• Contributions (typically 2-3 bullets)
• Strengths and weaknesses (2-3 bullets for each)
• Your opinions (on the strengths and weaknesses)

Please make your best effort to write concise and precise statements. For example:

• In the summary, it is better to write statements that are more summarizing than descriptive. A common mistake is to write "this paper proposed a methodology..." This isn't valuable for you later on; you can write "the key idea (or intuition) of this paper is XYZ."
• Contributions / strengths / weaknesses. You need to extract the essence---what the authors really want us to remember about the paper. For example, the fact that the research is well-evaluated is not a contribution; it's necessary for the authors to convey their ideas. Similarly, bad writing is not a weakness for those selected papers. You can mention them in the "opinions" field.

In your critiques, I will look for evidence that you thought about the problem discussed in the paper; you incorporated personal experience, you looked for how the security issues discussed in the paper are addressed today, and so on. Think critically about the paper and do not accept the authors' opinions as-is. It is the authors' job to convince you!

Here, I also share a sample critique of mine for reference [example].

Grading Policy

Each critique is scored out of 2 points; your total over the term is scaled to the 20% that critiques are worth [Grading].

• 0 points: No submission before the deadline / a simple paraphrase of the abstract and introduction.
• 1 point: You made an effort to understand the papers / you also carefully think about the pros and cons of the papers.
• 2 points: You make an insightful comment.

Submission Instructions

Upload your critique to Canvas.

[Mandatory] In-Class Paper Presentation and Discussion

[Note] You present one of the two papers assigned for the day you sign up for.

You also need to sign-up for the in-class paper presentation and discussion. You only need to sign-up once throughout the term. You will require to present a paper as if the paper is yours and lead the discussion during the lecture.

Please use this Google Sheet [link] to sign-up (you need an ONID to access this sheet); up to 2 students can present the same paper together. You MUST sign up by 09/30. You MUST meet Sanghyun ONCE—0.5 weeks before the class for revising your presentation; ask for the meeting in class or by email.

[Sign-up is first come, first served.] Slots are taken in the order students write their names on the sheet. If you sign up late and no presentation slot is left, you will receive 0 points for this component—so please sign up early. The same rule applies if you later need to move your presentation date: you can only move into a slot that is still open.

Your presentation and discussion will be tentatively 35-45 minutes.

• 25 min: Paper presentation.
• 10-25 min: In-class paper discussion.

Grading Policy

• 0%: No sign-up or no presentation (this includes signing up too late to get a slot).
• 8%: Sign-up; but the lack of quality in your presentation.
• 12%: Sign-up; you present a paper and lead the discussion.
• 15%: You make an outstanding presentation and discussion.
• Miss the meeting with Sanghyun: If you miss the meeting, your final score will decrease by 5%.